Once again I cannot thank you all enough for the best Nomad game we have had in the 6 years of having them - well done all

Nomad Forum FC and Ware Strollers shared an entertaining 7-7 draw at Arundel FC on Saturday before Ware won the resulting penalty shoot out 4-3. However, the real winners were MacMillan Cancer Research as around £650 was raised on the day with more still to come.

Player Manager of Nomad FC, Dean Bradford, went for an authodox 4-4-2 formation to start with Gary Croft in goal, Steve Sallis, Reece Head, Jay Head and Martin Gander at the back. The midfield was Craig Stuart, Pete Christodoulou, Ian Gilmour and Tobi Hutchison with Phil Churchill and captain Eamonn Searle up front.

Peter Taylor’s Ware had come down from Hertfordshire for the game and found themselves 1-0 down after just 2 minutes when Searle rounded the Ware keeper, laid it onto Hutchison who in turn found Chruchill who passed it to Gilmour to strike a great ball from 20 yards into the bottom left corner.

Ware gradually got into the game but found themselves thwarted by the Head brothers at the back as well as Sallis and a special mention to Gander who managed 36 minutes at the ripe age of 50.

Nomad went close on 8 minutes when Churchill nicked the ball off the defender but was denied by a good save. Stuart made one of several good runs down the right on 11 minutes and found Gilmour to strike again but this time he was denied by a good save.

Nomad had a scare on 16 minutes when Sallis mis-read a high ball and allowed the left winger of Ware to shoot but was denied by Croft.

On 22 minutes, Nomad were 2-0 up when Hutchison made a good run down the left and found Searle who rose well to head past the keeper. 2 minutes later it was 3-0 when Stuart passed Churchill who beat his defender and slotted home.

Ware pulled one back on 37 minutes to make it 3-1 when a mistake by Dom Di Paola, who was on for Gander, allowed the Ware forward to strike past Croft. However on 40 minutes the 3 goal cushion was restored when Gilmour turned provider for Churchill to get his 2nd of the match for 4-1.

On 43 minutes Nomad made it 5-1 to cap off a good 1st half display when Gilmour made an excellent run, found Christodoulou having a great game in central midfield with Gilmour, who in turn found Stuart who rounded the keeper to score.

With Ware beginning to tire and suffering a couple of injuries, Mitch Ward and Greg Roffe sportingly donned the maroon Ware shirts for the 2nd half in an attempt to make it a more even contest and they both played a major part in making it just that with a stunning 2nd half revival.

Bradford also changed the formation to 4-3-3 to appease his team of “galaticos” which in hindsight was a tactical disaster! Jon Chaleye was brought on at half time in a 3 across the middle with Hutchison and Gilmour with Stuart pushed up front with Searle and Churchill. Gander made his 2nd appearance coming on for Christodoulou and Reece Head.

Roffe immediately pulled one back to make it 5-2 with a great stike on 48 minutes and then on 54 minutes it was 5-3 and game on! Churchill was denied his hat-trick on 55 minutes but 5 minutes later he got it when a good move involving Stuart and Searle allowed Chucrhill to drill home and make it 6-3.

Ware were looking much stronger in the 2nd half and Roffe scored another on 63 minutes and then Ware scored again on 67 minutes to make it 6-5. Bradford brought himself on after 70 minutes and somehow pulled off an audacious step over move much to the amusement of his teammates but was powerless to stop 2 Ward thunder strikes on 79 minutes and 86 minutes to give Ware the lead for the 1st time in the match at 6-7.

With time running out, a good move involving Hutchison and Searle found Chaleye who poked home in the 90th minute to make it 7-7 and take the match into a penalty shoot out.

Di Paola, Sallis and the Head brothers all scored theirs, Searle missed his as did a Ware player meaning it went to sudden death. Ware scored theirs so it was down to Chaleye to keep the match alive. 2nd half ref Geoff Anscombe played with the ball on the spot for about 5 minutes which seemed to unsettle Chaleye and he duly missed meaning Ware won an enthralling game after a great 2nd half comeback.

Certainly in my time over 6 years of managing the Nomad Forum FC team, this game was by far the most entertaining and enjoyable which is down to the fantastic atmosphere and team spirit created by both sets of players and the constant banter between all the Nomad Forum FC players.

The biggest winners were MacMillan Cancer Research with over £650 raised on the day and too many people to thank but a special mention to Bob Marchant and all at Arundel FC, Geoff Anscombe for the orgaising of the event, Kay Waller for her excellent money making skills and Boyd the photographer who took around 280 pictures on the day who will be sending me the disc very shortly.

A final thanks to all the Nomad Forum FC and Peter Taylor’s Ware for restoring a lot of faith and respect back into non league football in what has been quite a turbulent season.

Also how many times has Omib posted, the correct spelling of my name is at the bottom of his signature nearly a 1000 times, please check and rewrite! Oh and I agree with Jester, too many subjects plus a response required to the rematch thread, I will update the thread with proposed dates by Friday?

Whilst I expect stick and I am more than capable of handling this, I do feel somewhat left out to dry with the real truth of why we drew not going to print, so here it is:

The starting line up was good, the score was 5-1 at the half, Shiners wand like cross for Omib was perfect, Bam Bam's hat trick shows that despite being from the Deep South and at 45, pace is everything at this level and took his 3 goals well, his last one the best only to be copied by Trauts who had played like a frightened child every time Salad or Gillie or Omib called for the ball. Gillies opening strike was a classic and something I had never even knew was in his locker, the ability to shoot.The Heeeeds at the back stroked around the ball at will, even Bear looked the part but they were never put under any pressure until they decided to be Barcelona and Jester handed them a goal but Octopus's flagrant avoidance of the ball stank of fix! Jester even tried to lie about it after when interviewed; stating the shine off his brother’s head had blinded him momentarily. Sallis's avoidance of getting his gelled hair ruffled after avoiding a header was a classic, followed swiftly by Omibs retrieval of the ball after a 70 yard, on a sixpence, Jester pass only to see Omib do his Octopus impression and fluff it out. Half time came and went, Slackjack to run the midfield with Gillie, as they had done in years gone past. However, the withdrawal of Gonzo from defence, Doo do dooo from midfield (He's still playing for chrissakes) plus the real reason for the draw, the loaning of Greg Roffe (Former Woking striker) and Mitch' (Only 19 years old) who played in midfield. Greg scored 1 and set up 3, Mitch hammered 2 crackers and that was my fault, I don't think so?Anyway, in true Slackjack style, he never gave up, was involved in the move for the sixth and ran a full 87 yards to receive a pass from Omib and coolly slot from the edge of the box past a stranded keeper for 7-7. Other comments on the game:Shiner being the only leftie meant he rarely got the ball but he kept coming inside in the second half and then the only time he ran wide left, moaned about my pass back inside, he had been here for 30 minutes already and should have stayed there. Jester and Octopus deliberately playing silly buggers and handing them at least 2 goals, Trauts and Shiner literally standing on the wing with no effort to tackle back, and help Horse, who I thought did well, despite not knowing where he was, EP, Utd or Climping, it was Arundel Horse, Arundel! Omib’s constant berating of me and a few others but forgot to challenge back all 90. Then penalties, despite asking several times what the format was, it became confusing, Sallis pen was the pick, Jester bagged I think and then Omib missed and told me I had to take one despite being in agony. The new ref Geoff (What a nob) couldn’t help but interfere and continually put my ball into a hole, which inevitably resulted in a poor result, only then to be told I had not only changed the game from 5-1 up to 7-7 but also lost the shoot out as mine was the decider, why not tell me then comrades?Then onto the bar where Mr Marchant excelled, Geoff the ref , Octo’ “avoid the ball at all costs” pus, Kay and the lads were all in fine form. I do have a bone to pick with Bob, he sabotaged the floor with beer that has resulted in me being in hospital today but I didn’t spill a drop and won’t sue.My head hurt all day yesterday and the bodies turn today but please let me know when we can do the next one to Ware plus we also need a date to play in East Sussex, only fair to share it around?Thanks, Jon